Sweet Saturday Sample: Blueberry Truth Out Take

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Welcome to another Sweet Saturday Sample.

I thought it might be fun to do an 'out take' today. Early drafts of Blueberry Truth included some of Blueberry's voice. Though they didn't make the final draft, they did help me to get inside the head of  troubled seven-year-old Blueberry Truth, which made a big difference to the book over all.

This scene comes from the center of the book, when Beanie takes Blue to her niece's First Communion. Blue has never been in church before. This is her take on the experience:

Granny, she don’t believe in church. There be a God, he no friend of mine, she say. Beanie go to a fancy church. All rich with colored windows got pictures in them.  Big vat of water in the back. Beanie dip her hand in and make a sign of a cross like I seen Julio do and drag me down to the front. We sit on a long bench next to a whole bunch of other peoples that is her family. Get them all these bright colored dresses. One lady, she wear a big white hat that flop down all over. The hat lady hug Beanie and kiss her on the cheek. This my sister Lily, Beanie say. Then we all sit down.

There this big music that come up.  Beanie point up behind us to the balcony. Silver pipes going every which way all making sound.  Whoever play that thing miss the notes. Then everybody stand up and start to sing some song I never hear before,  voices all up and down and everywhere. Beanie show me the magazine, which got words and notes all over like a story. Then a bunch of kids come in. Boys all got white suits. Girls like they going to get married, all in white dresses. They walk down girls on one side, boys on the other. Maybe they get married like that, but they just kids like me and kids not supposed to get marry. I want to ask Beanie, but she say no talking so I don’t say nothing.

The big hat lady, sister Lily, she look like she fit to cry. Another lady in a pink dress sister somebody, put her arms around hat lady and whisper something at her. Pink dress lady look at me eyes all sharp and then to Beanie. Beanie smile and look at the magazine.

They go on and on a long time just like Beanie has told to me. We pray and then we sing again and then a man come with a basket on a pole and everybody put money in the basket except some put in a envelope like maybe they write a letter to God or Jesus.

Then all the get-marry kids go up front and the preacher give them something look like a white paper to eat. Then everybody else eat the white paper. Beanie’s Ma and the rest of her peoples go, but Beanie put her arm around me and whisper we wait here. I sit down and wait and everybody come back and say excuse me and kneel on that thing they got for kneeling.  We been here about two million year now. Beanie whisper almost done. Then the marry-kids go out and everybody follow and we stand on the step outside. The sun make me blink.

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